Veterans must hunt for car cover

Despite being in his eighties, Robert Barltrop still works as a journalist - and he relies on his car for getting about. He has never had an accident, but has seen the cost of his car insurance rocket. Until recently he was paying £58 a month - almost £700 a year - through Saga, a specialist insurer for the elderly.

Robert, 84, who lives with his 82-year-old wife Mary in Stratford, east London, and writes a column for the Newham Recorder, began looking for cheaper cover for his Nissan Micra.

But like many people over 70, he found that many insurers were not that keen to take him on.

Statistically, the chance of having an accident increases by about 13% for drivers aged over 70, so the elderly are expensive customers for insurers.

And according to the Association of British Insurers, the average claim for those over the age of 75 is £1,716 – 50% higher than the average claim for those aged 60.

Many insurers, including Norwich Union and esure, reject new applications from drivers over 70. The older you get the harder it can be to find cover, with three-quarters of insurers refusing to take on those aged 80 or over.

For new customers, insurer More Than has an age limit of 79 and Tesco's is 80, though both will continue to cover those who take out a policy before the cut-off point. Churchill has an upper age limit of 90 for new customers and 99 for existing ones.

Help the Aged, which has carried out extensive research into motor cover for the elderly, says: 'Securing value-for-money cover is becoming increasingly difficult.'

Help the Aged, Saga, Age Concern and RIAS are the main insurers who cater for the elderly. None of them applies age restrictions on policies. However, the cost of cover can vary sharply, depending on a range of factors including gender, where you live and the insurer you choose.

Figures from price comparison service moneysupermarket.com show that an 85-year-old man from Clapham, south west London, taking out comprehensive car insurance on a Ford Fiesta, would pay £804 a year with RIAS.

This would rise to £931 for a woman of the same age. The equivalent annual policy from Age Concern would cost £547 for the man and £585 for the woman.

The most competitive cover is from Help the Aged at £429 for the man and £458 for the woman.

Move the 85-year-old drivers to Lydney in Gloucestershire and the cheapest cover available is with Saga at £239 for the man and £262 for the woman.

The equivalent annual policy with RIAS costs £320 for the man and £361 for the woman.

David Hoyle of Age Concern warns that veteran motorists with medical problems should make sure their insurer is told.

'Older people are more likely to develop medical conditions, but they are not always conditions that will affect their ability to drive,' he says. 'It is just a matter of informing the DVLA and insurers of those relevant medical conditions.'

Journalist Robert has now taken out motor insurance with Age Concern and he has cut his monthly bill to £37.

He says: 'The car is important to me as Mary no longer drives. I am physically quite weak so I drive here, there and everywhere. I have never had an accident and I intend to keep driving as long as I can.'

Over the next 50 years the number of drivers above the age of 70 is predicted to rise by 150% to around ten million.

Malcolm Tarling, of the Association of British Insurers, says: 'As the market grows, we expect more insurers to offer cover to the elderly and in turn cover to become more competitive.'

Changing insurance cover from comprehensive to third party, fire and theft can help drivers to cut costs.

Those with expensive cars could consider downgrading to a cheaper, older vehicle, which will be less likely to be stolen.

Increasing the excess on the policy or limiting the mileage could also reduce premiums.